Chapter 133 Filling the gap

As she retreated below deck, she couldn't help but wonder: was this the price they had to pay for their charade? Was this fragile connection, born out of a shared night of passion, destined to be crushed by the harsh reality of their mission? The days blurred into a monotonous routine. The rhythmic creaking of the ship and the endless expanse of the ocean became a constant backdrop to the simmering tension between Jane and Lucian. His playful demeanor, the teasing glint in his eyes, had vanished, replaced by a cold, brooding silence. Jane felt adrift, lost at sea in more ways than one. The mission, which had initially filled her with purpose, now felt overshadowed by the weight of her unspoken apology. She had tried to reach out to Lucian, to mend the rift her words had created. But her attempts were met with a chilling indifference, a wall of silence that seemed impossible to penetrate. One afternoon, Jane found herself standing by the helm, fiddling with a half-eaten apple. It was